Ottawa casino needs a ‘wow factor’ to compete, developer says

Tony Lofaro, OTTAWA CITIZEN02.21.2013

The key to locating the new Ottawa casino is putting it in a place where the city can capitalize on the spinoff benefits, said Mark Rivers, president of The Bronson Companies, a major real estate and casino developer, and one of seven companies making a pitch to build the new casino.

The key to creating a successful 21st-century casino is to build a better “mousetrap,” says the spokesman for a group bidding to bring a casino mega-resort to Ottawa.OTTAWA — The key to creating a successful 21st-century casino is to build a better “mousetrap,” says the spokesman for a group bidding to bring a casino mega-resort to Ottawa.

“There’s going to have to be other things to encourage you to spend time there,” said Mark Rivers, president of The Bronson Companies, a major real estate and casino developer, and one of seven companies making a pitch for a casino in Ottawa.

Niagara Falls and Windsor already have casinos and gaming is coming to Toronto and Hamilton, he said. For visitors to Ottawa, “the casino isn’t going to be what’s unique, the mousetrap is what’s going to be unique.”

He said Ottawa’s new casino should have a “wow factor” and offer more to the customer than just gaming facilities.

“This isn’t 40 years ago when there were only two places in North America you can legally gamble, Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Now there is legalized gaming everywhere and in most provinces and states. So, it’s not necessarily novel anymore.

“When you look at facilities like this, to succeed they have to be more than just gambling, they have to capture your imagination.”

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation will receive preliminary bids from interested parties by Mar. 7 and study the bids before selecting the finalists. Only the finalists will be asked to submit a request-for-proposal and the OLG will pick the winning casino operator.

Ottawa city council will vote on it and a final decision on the winning bid is expected by the end of the year.

Rivers said the Ottawa casino must offer more to survive in the competitive gaming market and also respectfully reflect the character of the city it’s located in. He said he’s visited Ottawa several times and is impressed with its architecture, neighbourhoods and citizens.

“Can you locate this in a place where there can be spinoff benefits in the forms of other business and economic development? That’s the challenge. If we can find the space and if we can make the economics work, the ideal thing here is to create a destination property,” said Rivers, adding the project could include a casino, showroom, hotel and retail stores.

He said he’s looking for a large site that could include those elements to make the project feasible. “I think the bigger the better, if it ends up being a very small footprint, it runs the risk of being a ballroom with slot machines. If it is bigger, you can create a resort environment,” he said.

Rivers has studied the Ottawa market for almost a year now and thinks the city is primed for a new casino. The Casino du Lac Leamy is well established and Rideau Carleton Raceway serves a specific casino market, but his project will offer more, he said.

And he added, the casino project is not restricted to locating in the downtown core because the economics of putting it there may not be feasible.

“I think downtown would be great if there is a location that works, but the location may have to be somewhere else with the right size and access to succeed,” said Rivers.

OLG chairman Paul Godfrey has said in interviews that he’d like to see a new casino in downtown Ottawa because that’s “where the people are.” Last year, the OLG announced a major overhaul of the province’s gaming assets, including the end of a revenue-sharing agreement with 17 Ontario racetracks with slot facilities

Rivers said the Rideau Carleton Raceway on Albion Road is “access challenged”, it’s away from the central hub and accessible by a two-lane road.

“Ottawa is competing against Lac Leamy and when you compete you have better give yourself the best opportunity to succeed and not put yourself in a location that is secondary, difficult or out of reach (for customers).

“Casinos are a proven entertainment product in North America today and satisfy a segment of the population’s interest in leisure time, they attract people and often there’s as much a concentration of non-gaming as there are on gaming activities, whether it is dining or shopping.”

Rivers said he didn’t want to name the company’s preferred locations for a casino.

alofaro@ottawacitizen.com

twitter.com/tlofaro

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